George Lohmann
George Alfred Lohmann
Born: 2 June 1865, Campden Hill, Kensington, London
Died: 1 December 1901, Worcester, Cape Province, South Africa
Major Teams: Surrey, Western Province, England.
Known As: George Lohmann
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium Fast
Test Debut: England v Australia at Manchester, 1st Test, 1886
Last Test: England v Australia at Lord's, 1st Test, 1896
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1889
Career Statistics:
TESTS
(career)
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 18 26 2 213 62* 8.87 0 1 28 0
Balls M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 3830 364 1205 112 10.75 9-28 9 5 34.1 1.88
FIRST-CLASS
(career: 1884 - 1896/97)
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 293 427 39 7247 115 18.67 3 29 337 0
Balls R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 71724 25295 1841 13.73 9-28 176 57 38.9 2.11
- Explanations of First-Class and List A status courtesy of the ACS.
StatsGuru Filters for George Lohmann
Profile:
A master of the high art of bowling, George Lohmann's Test record
stands alone, 112 wickets in 18 Tests at an average of 10.75 - an
exceptional achievement, even considering he bowled on the poorly
prepared and uncovered wickets of the time. On the matting in
South Africa he was even better, destroying the South African
batting with 35 wickets in three Tests at just over 5 apiece.
He bowled medium to slow medium with a high action, and with
varied and deceptive flight. He could bowl a leg break, but
mostly moved the ball into the batsman. Disdaining the off-theory
espoused by many other bowlers at the time, he always attacked the
stumps, and his strength was in his accuracy and variation.
Unfailingly accurate, he changed pace and flight with no
discernable change of action, and often took wickets with a ball
that did not spin at all, decieiving batsmen playing for the
break. Both WG Grace and CB Fry stated he was the finest medium
paced bowler they ever saw - and between them they played cricket
over six decades.
He was also an excellent lower order bat (with three
first-class centuries), as with his bowling never failing to
attack, and was one of the first specialist slip fielders, a
position at which he excelled.
He was given a trial by Surrey in 1884 at the age of 18, and by
next season was one of the leading bowlers in England, taking
over 150 wickets. By 1888 he was taking 200 wickets a season, a
feat he repeated the following two years. A handsome man - tall,
blond and blue-eyed - his career was relatively brief, as after 6
years at the peak of his career his health failed him, as he was
diagnosed with tuberculosis. A hard and tireless worker he had
bowled a phenomenal amount over the preceding period, taking part
in two Australian tours as well as the demanding schedule of the
English season. He was sent to South Africa to recuperate, and
after trying his health with Western Province in the Currie Cup,
two years later returned to play two more seasons with Surrey.
His final tour was in 1895-96 to South Africa, but after the 1896
season, apparently following a dispute with Surrey over his fee for the Oval Test, and with his
health failing him again, he moved to South Africa permanently.
He returned to England as manager of the 1901 South African
team, but sadly died shortly after his return to South Africa. He
was just 36.
Quotes
PF Warner "He was a great cricketer who loved the game with all his soul, and to hear him talk on cricket was well worthwhile"
HS Altham "His whole heart was in the game, which indeed, he loved not wisely but too well, crowding into thirteen years more work than even his magnificent physique could stand"
[Dl, 2000]
Last Updated: Monday, 29-Jul-2002 14:39:52 GMT
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